


Don't Judge A File By Its Thumbnail

by phlintandsteel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha Tony, Bucky is a nobody with no prospects, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Bucky - Freeform, Omegaverse, Tony is still basically the most eligible bachelor in the world, alpha/beta/omega, i think you can see where this is going, omega houses are a thing, oops almost forgot to tag Mpreg, set in modern times but with a slight regency feel to it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 05:48:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20466029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phlintandsteel/pseuds/phlintandsteel
Summary: In which Bucky is an omega who’s built far too much like an alpha, to the point that he’s relegated himself to becoming an additional caretaker at Shield-Maiden Omega House, rather than a ward.Tony is an alpha who learned long ago how to compensate for his, uh, shortcomings, but he’s certainly never let it stop him from getting (or doing) what he wants.And Rhodey, as always, knows best.





	Don't Judge A File By Its Thumbnail

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back bitches.

One of the new younglings, Khelsie, comes up to Bucky after breakfast is over and asks if he can help her take some photos. 

“Everyone knows selfie sticks are way overdone, I was hoping you could help me get some good candid, but not like totally _ candid _candid shots, where it’s at least obvious they weren’t taken with a stick?...” she asks, hands clasped and eyes wide. 

“Sure thing,” Bucky smiles, because helping the new kids set up their profiles on Shield-Maiden Omega House’s website is usually the first interaction he has with them. Everyone knows he has an eye for capturing a person’s best qualities on film. And since he’s a decade older than any of them, too tall, too muscular, and too broad shouldered, he isn’t a threat to their own popularity at all. “You have any purple outfits? That would be a good color on you, especially a soft lilac,” he asks.

“I don’t think I do...” Khelsie says, biting her lip. 

“You know what, there’s a gown in the House stock that’s the color I’m thinking of... Why don’t I go grab it, and you meet me in the kitchen in about twenty minutes?” Bucky proposes.

“In the kitchen?” 

“Yeah, I’ve got an idea. Just trust me,” Bucky says, “You want slightly unconventional without being ‘weird’, right?”

“Exactly,” Khelsie nods. 

“Ok, this will be right up that alley. And if you don’t like them, we can always try something else afterward,” Bucky assures her.

“Ok, let’s give it a try,” she agrees, her excitement bubbling over and making Bucky smile enthusiastically too. 

Twenty minutes later, Khelsie goes to change into the gown while Bucky fills a bucket with some lysol and warm water. He also sets out a couple brillo pads, rubber gloves, and a mop. When she comes back he says, “Ok, Cinderella, here’s the plan...” 

He stages her around the kitchen doing various chores in the gown, scrubbing some pans, washing the counters, dancing with the mop. He makes sure to go for the angles she was wanting earlier, and then when everything’s done, he helps her choose the right filters before uploading them. 

“These are absolutely amazing, Bucky, I would never have done this on my own, _ couldn’t _have done it on my own,” she gushes as the House’s linked Instagram page starts registering likes right away. 

“You’re welcome, Khelsie. I never mind helping out. Let me know if you ever want help with anything else, ok?” Bucky tells her.

“I definitely will, thanks Bucky!” she says, giving him a hug before she leaves to return the gown. 

“You know,” a voice says from behind Bucky, “If you put half as much effort into your own feed, you’d have a lot more buzz around your profile.”

Bucky just keeps putting the props from their photo shoot away as he answers, “Been there, done that, Nick. You know as well as I do that anyone who’s been interested in me because of the photos online is always disappointed in real life. If not _ mad, _ like they think I was trying to pull one over on them,” Bucky answers, rolling his eyes. 

“Not all alphas are assholes,” Nick says, but there isn’t a lot of force behind it. 

“The funny thing is,” Bucky says, ignoring Nick’s reply, “If I’d been born a beta, everyone would have considered me _ lucky _to look so much like an alpha. But since I’m an omega, it’s a curse instead.” He delivers it in a matter of fact tone, with no real emotion to it, because he’s been basically resigning himself to his fate for the last few years now. He’s over it. Bucky will spend the rest of his life here at Shield-Maiden Omega House, helping the younglings get mated and trying not to be a burden. 

Nick is silent for a moment. 

“Steve’s looking for you,” he finally says, dropping the previous topic. 

Bucky nods as he finishes putting away the last of the cleaning supplies, then goes to find his best friend. 

Nick stands in the doorway for a minute after Bucky leaves, sighs to himself, then goes back to his office. 

Steven Grant Rogers has been Bucky’s best friend since they were little kids. They lived next door to each other, were both omegas, and neither of their families had a snowball’s chance in hell of giving them the resources to attract a decent alpha, so they both knew they would go to the same omega house eventually too. 

Steven Grant Rogers is also the epitome of everything Bucky is not, of everything a desirable omega should be. He’s small and thin, has blond hair and blue eyes, virtually no muscle tone, and the first word that jumps to mind upon meeting him is _ delicate. _

He’d have been mated long ago, probably at his very first Presentation Gala, if it wasn’t for his personality. Because Steve is also a huge asshole as well. Mostly to alphas, but really to anyone who deserves it, alpha, beta, or omega. He’s a stubborn little shit that has run off _ dozens _ of suitors by refusing to submit, refusing to cater to them, etc. And also by refusing to shut his mouth. Bucky has actually had to _ intervene _a few times, when Steve pissed off an interested alpha so badly that they were about to come to blows. 

The only picture Steve has ever let Bucky take of him, for the internet, was when he had a black eye after getting into it with an alpha over what level of _ obedience _one should expect from their mate. That alpha was of course banned from ever setting foot in their House again, for the rest of his life. And Steve uploaded a new profile picture for the first time in years, though Nick made him switch it back as soon as he found out. 

Even before that incident, Steve had stuck to mostly putting pictures of his drawings in his profile. Since then, he hasn’t uploaded a single live shot at all. The fact that his cover photo is obviously from when he first came to the House, but his age is listed as 25, makes most people assume he didn’t _ stay _attractive. So he doesn’t get solo inquiries anymore. He and Bucky are both on track to becoming additional caretakers, rather than wards, there at the House. 

“Hey, punk, Nick said you were looking for me?” Bucky asks, finding Steve sketching in their shared bedroom. 

“Yeah, I’m craving an apple,” Steve says, not looking up from the battle scene he’s working on. 

Bucky sighs. “You know there’s a perfectly good bowl of apples sitting out in the dining room?”

“I don’t like those apples.”

“They’re red delicious, everyone likes red delicious,” Bucky says, putting his hands on his hips. 

“Well I don’t. I like Fujis,” Steve says flippantly, still not looking up. 

Bucky sighs and drops his hands. “Yeah, I know. Come on, let’s go then.”

As soon as Bucky agrees, Steve stops his drawing and beams at him, setting the sketchbook aside. “I knew I could count on you, Buck.”

Shield-Maiden Omega House sits on a hundred acres in upstate New York, where there’s plenty of room to learn to ride horses, paint scenic landscapes, garden, and pretend you still live in the 19th century that the House was founded in, if you so desire. They also have lightening fast wi-fi though, for those wanting to connect to the outside world a bit more. 

It takes a few minutes for them to make their way out to the orchard, where a handful of different apple varieties are present. After a severe winter last year, there’s only one Fuji tree left that’s fruit bearing. They planted more, but it’ll be awhile before they’re big enough to produce anything. 

“Alright, boost me up,” Steve says, eyeing the tree and one branch in particular that’s loaded with apples. Technically, they’re not supposed to pick them on their own before harvest, but this is one of the softer rules that Steve routinely talks Bucky into breaking with him, so he hardly even puts up a fuss anymore. Plus, Steve always picks Bucky an apple too, so it’s not without its own incentive for him. 

They sit on the ground right there in the orchard to eat them. Then they watch the clouds while they talk about the prospects of their couple newest members. The alarm on Bucky’s phone goes off after a while, reminding him that if he wants to help with the dinner preparations, he needs to head that way. It’s not required of him, but he’s already learned everything that the House has to teach him, so he doesn’t go to classes anymore. Bucky isn’t spending his time making sure he’s as attractive as possible either, since he’s basically given up on the mate thing. So he tries to help out where he can, lend a hand and all that, since the House doesn’t have much chance of ever making a return on his investment. 

Normally they would make back the money they spent on an omega’s upkeep and more, from the alpha’s mating offer, which is why families who can afford to give an omega their own “proper” upbringing do it themselves. Of course, omegas aren’t as rare now as they were when the first omega houses were being established though. A hundred years ago, Bucky probably would have had an offer anyway, just for the sheer privilege of being with an omega, regardless of his appearance. Now, he can’t even count on being offered a trial run... 

“Shit,” Steve swears, pulling Bucky from his thoughts just in time to see him trip and fall as he’s squeezing through the slats of the fence around the orchard. He doesn’t look hurt or anything, but his clothes now have obvious dirt on them, especially his knees where he landed. 

“Maybe we can sneak back in without Nick seeing us?” Steve says as he tries his best to brush off his jeans. 

Bucky finishes climbing down from over the fence, because he’s way too big to fit between the rungs like Stevie, “Maybe. And maybe when we wake up in the morning, we’ll have gained superpowers,” Bucky adds sarcastically. 

Steve sighs. “You know, I wouldn’t mind having super strength...”

“Being strong is overrated,” Bucky says immediately, “Now being able to _ fly, _ that would be amazing...”

They talk about what the best super powers would be for the whole walk back, not even noticing the increased activity inside the House until they’re crossing the main hall on their way upstairs to the living quarters. 

“Shooting lasers _ uncontrollably _from your eyes is the absolute worst mutation ever, bar none,” Steve argues. 

“That’s stupid, not being able to touch anyone without draining their life force is way more horrible,” Bucky says, shaking his head. 

“Who cares about that, just wear gloves. Gloves are a dime a dozen. Not being able to _ see _without a futuristic eyepiece is way more limiting in your day to day life,” Steve argues back. 

“People being blind is a thing, Steve,” Bucky says, rolling his eyes, “And they live perfectly normal lives, get mated, have kids, all that. Which you can't do if you're never able to touch another person.” 

Both of them have noticed at that point that there are a pair of alphas in the main hall who must have shown up for a mate search, which happens fairly often throughout the year. Bucky glances at them, both obviously military, Air Force from their uniforms, but he doesn’t bother making eye contact or even slowing his step. Steve doesn’t even acknowledge they exist at all. They both just keep talking as they head for the stairs, going to change before helping in the kitchen. 

Bucky prepares himself mentally while they’re in their room though, because they’ll have to cross the main hall again on their way back. More than one alpha has taken an interest in Steve just because he stood out to them in his refusal to care about their presence. Steve doesn’t say anything about the potential conflict coming up though, just keeps talking about super powers. 

“Ok, I’ll give you the fact that telekinesis would definitely be the most _ useful, _ but come on Buck, if you had super strength it would mean you could run super fast too, and jump super high, all that stuff. It would be way more fun,” Steve keeps up his running argument as they make their way across the hall. 

Unfortunately, the fact that they’re obviously already engaged in a conversation between themselves doesn’t deter one of the alphas from trying to speak to them. 

“Super strength would be cool, but have you considered _ flying?” _ he says, giving Steve a grin. 

That brings Steve up short, because alphas don’t usually want to talk about anything but an omega’s _ training _when they first meet. 

“I have considered it, only because that’s what Bucky would have picked,” Steve says, jerking his head in Bucky’s direction, “But I still say super strength is better.” 

“I guess I can see that,” the alpha says nonchalantly, “I might be biased toward the whole flight thing too, from being in the Air Force,” he smiles. “I _ am _going to have to disagree with you on the worst mutation though, from what I heard of your conversation before.”

Steve’s interest is too piqued to let that go, because not only is the alpha being nice and polite and hasn’t said anything derogatory about Bucky, but he actually _ seems _to be respecting Steve’s right to have a different opinion than him too...

“Yeah? What do you think would be the worst one?” 

“Something useless,” the alpha says right away. “And I mean like, totally useless, from a superhero stand point. Like being able to turn regular coffee into decaf, or having hair that you could turn glittery or something. Something that makes you a mutant, so you still have to deal with all the persecution, but when shit gets bad you can’t even do anything useful to help. That would be the _ worst.” _

Steve gives him a thoughtful look. 

“Yeah, that would really suck...” he finally says, not one to ever agree with an alpha just for the sake of agreeing, but in this instance he really does subscribe to the same mentality. 

“I’m going to go find Rosemary,” Bucky whispers to the back of Steve’s head, indicating he’s going to continue onto the kitchen without him, “Let me know if you need anything.” 

Steve turns his head a bit and gives him a nod, staying to talk to the alpha at least a little. Odds are he’ll be on Bucky’s heels in a few minutes once they piss each other off. Nick himself is presiding over the meet and greet though, so Bucky isn’t too worried about things getting out of control. 

By the time dinner is ready, Steve still hasn’t come looking for Bucky. 

Bucky doesn’t even think anything of it until he’s on his way to the dining room with a platter of food and he sees Steve still talking to the alpha, sees Steve _ laughing _with the alpha. Rosemary almost bumps into him from behind because he stops walking when he sees it. 

“Bucky?” she says his name questioningly, which snaps him out of it. He finishes the trek to deposit the food in the dining room, but then he turns to the cook.

“Sorry, Rosemary, I need to go check something out,” he tells her. 

She waves him off knowingly. 

Bucky makes a b-line for the other alpha that came with the one Steve’s talking to. 

“I’m not looking,” he says politely as soon as Bucky approaches him, which is validated by the lack of any other omegas around him, “I’m just escorting that one off base,” he says, tipping his head toward the other alpha and Steve. 

“Yeah? So you don’t, like, know each other at all?” Bucky asks, undeterred. 

“I’m Sergeant Wilson’s commanding officer. I’ve known him for a decade,” the alpha informs him, not unkindly. 

“Well I’m Steve’s best friend,” he says, tipping his own head toward them, “And I’ve known him for _ two _decades. So what’s Sergeant Wilson’s story?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest. He doesn’t have much of a chance of intimidating a military alpha, but just the fact that he can look most alphas, including this one, directly in the eye is usually enough to put them off kilter. 

“Sergeant Wilson has always been very focused on his career, as most military personnel are,” the alpha starts to tell him, not put off by Bucky’s display at all, “But he’s getting to the age where not having a mate and a family are starting to be a mark against him with the higher ups, as far as _ advancement _ goes. So he’s been looking for a mate for the last couple months. He hasn’t found anyone who’s caught his eye before though... What’s Steve’s story?” he asks back, not needing to cross his arms to appear in control of the conversation. 

Bucky uncrosses his, glancing over to Steve and Sergeant Wilson again. “Stevie... Well, he’s a stubborn little punk, actually,” Bucky says, “He doesn’t put up with anyone treating him like he’s _ less, _ just because he’s an omega.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” the alpha nods along with a little joking edge to it, having been listening to their conversation this whole time. “I’m Colonel Rhodes, by the way.”

“I’m Bucky,” he indicates while they shake hands.

Steve and Sergeant Wilson sit next to each other at dinner. Bucky would normally sit on Steve’s other side, but... He wants to give him the space to focus solely on the alpha making him smile, and not be distracted. Bucky himself likes what he hears from Sergeant Wilson, as a potential mate for his best friend. He’s easy going, lets Steve speak, doesn’t get offended at all when Steve tells him he’s wrong about something. The only thing that seems to throw Steve for a loop is when Sergeant Wilson smiles at him and tells Steve after dinner is done that he’s going to go speak to the head of the House. 

Steve watches him go kind of dumbfounded. 

Bucky is immediately at his side. 

“Is... Is he making the House an _ offer?” _ Bucky asks him. 

Steve stares after him with a bit of a shocked expression on his face. “I think he might be...”

“Holy shit. _ Stevie,” _ Bucky says, getting excited for him. 

“Do... Do you think I should say yes?” Steve asks him, as if he hadn’t just spent hours talking to the guy without getting his hackles raised at all. 

“Are you serious right now? Steve, you may never get another offer. And if you do get one right now, it’s from an alpha that you clicked with _ like that? _ How could you possibly be considering saying no?” Bucky asks him, like he’s insane. 

“No, you’re right. I just can’t believe this could actually be happening right now...” Steve says, shaking himself a little. “What if he just wants a _ trial run _ though?...” Steve asks Bucky, like he’s an obvious part of Steve’s decision making process. 

“Well, at least you’ll have had sex, if it doesn’t pan out after that...” Bucky shrugs. Trial runs are a long standing tradition among omega houses, the term originating from the trial period clause that Henry the VIII “established” in his search for a mate. It let the alpha out of the mating if it was determined that they and the omega were not “compatible” before they had shared a heat. The omega would then go back to their House, with the House getting to keep a portion of the amount of the original mating offer for the omega’s care and upkeep after that. 

These days, trial periods have morphed into their own separate contracts, where an alpha can pay for the privilege of _ having _an omega without any obligation to settle down with them. Of course, the omega in question has to be willing to agree to such a thing, just as with a full mating. There are middle of the road offers too sometimes, where an official mating will be offered, but a trial included just in case. 

“Yeah, that’s true,” Steve says, “And the House would benefit...” 

“And he isn’t exactly a bad looking guy,” Bucky points out, giving Steve a grin, “There could definitely be some _ benefit _on your end too, in a trial situation...” 

Steve blushes a little, obviously in agreement, but before he can formulate a response to that, Nick comes over to the two of them. 

“Steve?” he says, getting their attention, “Sergeant Sam Wilson has made an official mating offer to Shield-Maiden Omega House for you.”

“Yeah?” Steve says, kind of breathlessly. 

Nick nods. “What do you say?”

Sergeant Wilson is standing in the background across the room, with Colonel Rhodes at his side, watching with rapt attention. 

“A full offer as a mate? Is there a trial run?” Steve asks. 

“No trial run. Sergeant Wilson indicated that sometimes, you just have to go with your gut,” Nick informs them, smiling a little. 

“Oh... Yes. I say yes,” Steve nods, like he can’t believe what he’s saying. Not because it’s bad, just because he never thought it was something he’d _ be _ saying. 

“Holy shit, Stevie, you’re getting mated,” Bucky says, grinning himself. 

“Go ahead and pack your bags while I settle up with the Sergeant, then,” Nick instructs him, clapping Steve on the shoulder and motioning him toward the stairs. 

Bucky goes with him, to help him pack as quickly as possible. The House provides “going away” luggage to any mating member, so he drags a bunch of suitcases over to their room for Steve to put his things in. The two of them have helped countless other omegas pack in their lives, so it’s not a motion that’s unfamiliar to them. Steve takes all his clothes, one set of toiletries to hold him over, and any accumulated personal items. For him that’s mostly his sketchbooks and art supplies. 

It isn’t until he pulls out one of his old, already full sketchbooks and hands it to Bucky for him to keep that it really hits them both. 

“... I’ll call all the time,” Steve says, holding onto the book for a moment even though Bucky’s already accepted it. 

Bucky nods. He looks up from the cover, at Steve, refusing to let this moment be a sad one. “Just don’t be telling me about the size of his dick or anything, ‘cause I don’t want to hear it.”

They laugh, only the slightest hint of tears in it, and then finish packing. 

Bucky helps Steve haul his four suitcases downstairs, but then the alphas take over loading them into their vehicle. Steve gives Bucky one last hug, then gets in their car with them, the Colonel driving so that Sam and Steve can sit in the back together. 

They leave a little trail of dust in the air as they head down the House’s long driveway. 

Nick’s hand on Bucky’s shoulder is what pulls him out of his slight trance, watching it. 

“Come on inside, Bucky, it’ll be dark soon,” he says more gently than Bucky thinks is necessary. 

But he follows anyway.

<//>

The next morning, Bucky wakes up, and he’s alone. 

He promises himself that the crying he does into his pillow is going to be the one and only time, the only moment he allows himself, the only _ self pity _ that he ever indulges in. 

Bucky gets up afterward, showers, and goes on with his life. It’s the exact same life that he had planned out before, whether Steve is here by his side or not. He should be _ happy _that Steve isn’t stuck here in it with him too. 

Not that he doesn’t enjoy helping to train the younglings, but it just highlights the fact that he’ll never have any kids of his own. He helps pretty much every other omega at the House get ready for the winter Presentation Gala, in one way or another. But he himself just runs a comb through his hair and wears the same outfit the caretakers picked out for him last winter. It’s not like anyone else could ever reuse the ones in his size. So why get a new one twice a year? He’ll just wear his one from this summer’s Gala next summer, he’s already decided. And after that... 

Well, maybe he won’t even bother going to the Presentation Galas at all, after that...

The only things he really has to look forward to are Steve’s calls. Steve tells him all about Sam, and life on the base, and how spending a heat with an alpha is amazing, and how he gets pregnant during the first one he and Sam spend together. Bucky doesn’t have to try very hard to be gushing full of happiness for him. He includes a mention or two sometimes about how not much has changed around the House, but he tries not to put any emphasis on his own circumstances, because he doesn’t want Steve to feel guilty in the slightest. 

One day, Steve tells him that he and Sam are going to come visit him at the House. One of the other alphas in Sam’s unit, Riley, is in the market for a mate too, and they have permission to tag along when he comes. Steve is only four months pregnant, so he shouldn’t have much trouble with the travel. Bucky is _ ecstatic _to get to see him again. 

“Oh my god, you’re glowing, Stevie,” Bucky says, pulling him into a hug the moment he steps out of the car. Steve hugs him back just as tightly, the two of them ignoring all the other pleasantries and introductions going on around them. Colonel Rhodes is there again to escort Riley, so he handles that part of it. 

Before they head inside the Colonel does take a moment to formally introduce Riley to Bucky. 

“Jesus, you’re a tall bastard, aren’t you?” Riley says, shaking his head in awe as they shake hands. 

Bucky claps him on the back and says, “Fuck off,” while grinning the whole time.

Colonel Rhodes chokes on his laughter. 

Bucky takes Steve’s arm and leads his best friend inside himself while Sam laughs outright and ribs Riley. Bucky and Steve spend the whole time together, with Sam graciously giving them their space and hanging around with Colonel Rhodes instead. 

Bucky cries again after they’ve left, but it’s more of an overly emotional thing, not just out of pure sadness. Plus, his heat is coming up in a week or so, which means his hormones are already starting to go out of whack... He and Khelsie and Jordyyn, which is his new room mate, all go down to the kitchen and sneak some ice cream though, so that helps. 

<//>

When they get back to base, Colonel Rhodes signs off on everyone having behaved themselves and all parties having returned intact, then he goes to make a call. 

As soon as it connects, he starts talking, not wasting time on formalities.

“You know that thing we talked about at that place that time?” he asks.

“Yeah?... Wait, the one where you accidentally sat on Pepper’s rescue cat right after that, or the one where I spilled a margarita on your tie?...”

“First off, it’s not called ‘spilling’ when the margarita was formerly consumed and is being spilled out of your mouth. That’s called throwing up. You _ threw up _ on me, Tones. Secondly, neither one. I’m talking about the one that you made me pinky swear over afterward,” Rhodey says, rolling his eyes. 

“Uh, and the purpose of that pinky swear was to make sure you knew the seriousness of how much we were _ never going to talk about it again. _ And yet here we are, talking about it...”

“Because I may have found you a solution,” Rhodey says, waiting for his best friend to bite.

“...What kind of solution?”

“The kind that will definitely catch your eye if you were to attend the next Presentation Gala at Shield-Maiden Omega House,” Rhodey says cryptically. 

_ “Rhodey, _ you know I hate mysteries... When have I ever been anything but an instant gratification kind of guy?”

“I’m not going to answer that, because I don’t want to ruin your hard-won reputation,” Rhodey says, smiling and not joking in the slightest, “You’ll just have to show up at the Gala to find out.”

<//>

“Thank you for calling Shield-Maiden Omega House, how may I help you?”

“I need to speak to your Director of Operations.”

“Mr. Fury _ is _ in today, but he’s on the other line at the moment,” Maria says apologetically, “Can I take a message?” 

“... This is Pepper Potts. My boss wanted me to confirm the dates of your upcoming summer Presentation Gala,” she says professionally.

“Your boss?” Maria says, flustered. 

“Yes. He’d like to be in attendance, but we need to make sure it doesn’t conflict with anything on his existing schedule.”

“Hold please.”

Maria patches her through to Director Fury. 

<//>

Rumors start spreading through the House by that afternoon, that there must be some big names planning on attending this summer’s Gala, because the date has been changed and the budget suddenly doubled. 

Bucky isn’t personally more excited than usual, but he tries to get into the spirit of things more for everyone else’s sake, so he’s not being a downer. He gives himself a facial the week before like everyone else, makes sure he shaves nice and close _ everywhere _ on the day of, and that his hair is smooth and shiny and perfect. He wears the new outfit picked out for him, which by limitation of his frame is just as androgynous as usual, but whatever. If super models can get away with it, maybe he can too... Maybe if he decides to keep going to Galas in the future, he’ll just say fuck it and wear a suit, and pretend to just be a random alpha in the crowd, rather than a House member... 

As guests start arriving, Bucky can tell there’s definitely a larger ratio of wealthy and important alphas here than usual. He isn’t really sure any of them are worth doubling the budget for, even when Justin Hammer walks in, dressed like a million bucks and going way over the top to try and get people’s attention. 

Bucky’s first impression of the man is that he’s obviously shorter than he’s made out to be on camera. 

Fifteen minutes or so after Justin Hammer arrives, and the buzz has died down, Bucky finally understands why Nick doubled the budget. 

Because_ Tony Stark, _ the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist himself, the most _ eligible bachelor _ in the country, possibly the world, walks into their Gala. He walks in, and Bucky suddenly wonders if he didn’t pay for the difference in budget himself, because this is obviously _ his _party now. The charisma that he exudes flips everything around, and now he’s the center of attention, not the House omegas. 

The buzz Tony Stark creates doesn’t die down either, not really. Even Justin Hammer is surreptitiously watching him instead of paying attention to the omega in front of him. All the alphas are still making their rounds, introducing themselves to the omegas of the House, but keeping careful track of the biggest threat in the room at the same time. 

Bucky has heard articles call Tony Stark a _ super alpha _ before, but he didn’t understand what they meant. He couldn’t possibly have. The man’s presence is just larger than life in every way. Not until he starts making the rounds to introduce himself along with everyone else does the Gala go back to some semblance of normality. Even so, the current running through the crowd just from the knowledge that _ Tony Stark _ is there doesn’t go away.

In his distraction, Bucky doesn’t realize it at first, when Justin Hammer slips in front of him. The man gets his attention by clearing his throat though, and then taking a long, _ long _ time to look Bucky up and down after he has his focus. 

_"Wow. _ Now that, that is a look not everyone can pull off,” Justin says, taking a sip of his drink, “I mean, kudos to your stylist, for not being afraid of the whole 'tall as a fucking tree', thing. But it’s kind of a shame too. I mean, with cheekbones like yours, I might have been willing to go for a trial run, if you’d made any effort at all to downplay the height thing,” he says, winking when he says the words _ trial run. _

He takes another sip of his drink afterward, still looking at Bucky’s body and shaking his head, not even bothering to meet his eyes. 

Bucky crosses his arms and cocks his head to the side, leaning forward just a smidgen and letting his body language imply things with a subtlety that Mr. Hammer would probably never be able to match. “That’s probably for the best. You wouldn’t want to hurt yourself,” he says calmly. 

Justin may not be a genius, but he’s perfectly capable of catching Bucky’s meaning. It’s obvious he expected Bucky, as an omega, no matter his height, to cow down to him or at the very least be insulted and run off in tears. He finally looks Bucky in the eye as he gets ready to open his mouth, indignation written in every line of his face. 

But suddenly Tony Stark is_ right there, _ slinging an arm around Justin’s shoulders and distracting him before he can start in on a rant. It isn’t until that moment that Bucky realizes how short Tony is as well, because he and Justin Hammer are about the same height, but he’d never realized it before seeing them side by side. 

“Hammer, Hammer, Hammer... Can I call you Hammer? You should know better than to antagonize the House members. Besides, your fashion sense leaves, let’s be honest, a little something to be desired,” Tony says to the alpha as he leans forward toward Bucky, but he keeps his arm around Hammer so the man can’t possibly _ not _hear what he’s about to say. “If it were _me,_ there’s only one thing I’d have changed about your outfit, darling,” he says to Bucky. 

“Oh yeah?” Bucky asks, desperately clinging to the remains of his bravado, “What would you have done different?”

Tony gives him lascivious grin as he says, “Put you in heels.” Then he looks Bucky up and down and gives him a wink. It somehow manages to be more inappropriate and yet less insulting than the looking over Justin Hammer just gave him. 

Tony pulls on Hammer a little, making to steer him away from Bucky as he says, “Come on, Hammer, leave this one be. I’m pretty sure I saw a young doe-eyed blonde that would be much more to your liking over by the water fountain.” Then he kind of gets him going and releases Justin in that direction, turning back to Bucky while still standing a few feet away. 

“Bucky!” Khelsie calls out, rushing toward him in tears, drawing his attention away from Tony, who Bucky realizes as he’s looking away is _ still looking at him. _

“Hey, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” Bucky says, pulling her into a hug right away. He steals a teeny tiny glance in Tony’s direction, and the man raises a hand as if deferring, as if he understands and is perfectly fine with Bucky’s priorities in the moment. Bucky can barely believe Tony’s attention was seriously _ on him _ to begin with, so he just gives him an apologetic smile and focuses on Khelsie. 

“I- I tripped,” Khelsie says through her sobs, “And I ripped my dress when I fell. Everyone saw!” she hiccups, burying her face against Bucky’s chest. 

Bucky’s heart aches for her, to have had such a blunder during her first Gala. “Shh, shh, it’ll be ok. Come on, let’s go take a look at the damage. I bet we can get you fixed up with the emergency sewing kit in the bathroom,” he says, ushering her in that direction. 

He can’t see the look Tony is giving him as he walks away. 

In the bathroom, Bucky makes a successful repair to Khelsie’s dress, even though it takes a few minutes. There’s still a few hours left before the end of the Gala though, so he encourages her to get back on the horse, so to speak, and go back out there. 

By the time they get back on the floor, Tony Stark has moved on, obviously, and is talking about something with Nick and Maria. That’s definitely for the best though, because it’s going to take Bucky a long time to forget the few words the man did speak to him earlier. It would have been even worse if the conversation was longer. Bucky sees Tony stepping away to make a call, and he uses the opportunity to shake himself a little and move on. 

Khelsie has just agreed to dance with the alpha son of a soybean mogul when Nick comes over to Bucky. He opens his mouth to speak, but then seems to think better of it, obviously changing what he was about to say. 

“Come with me for a minute, Bucky,” he motions with his head toward one of the little seating areas scattered around the hall. 

“Um, sure,” Bucky says, wondering what’s up. 

“Take a seat, Buck,” Nick says, like it’s going to be for his own good.

Bucky sits. 

He raises an eyebrow at Nick. 

Nick puts his hands on his hips and looks down at Bucky seriously. 

“Tony Stark just made an offer to the House for you.”

Now Bucky understands why he’s sitting, because Nick would absolutely _not_ _joke _about something like that. 

“Are you serious?” he still has to ask anyway, because it’s that completely unbelievable, “We only said_ two words _ to each other...”

“Well, apparently those two words made an impression that no one else has ever been able to before. Or maybe being an eccentric billionaire, he already had decided to take a mate tonight and the rest has nothing to do with it,” Nick says, just as dumbfounded as Bucky is. 

“Wait, _ mate? _ Not just a trial run?” Bucky says, absolutely floored. 

“Yes, as a mate,” Tony himself says, stepping up to their discussion. How the man is able to keep getting the drop on him when his presence fills up an entire ballroom, Bucky has no idea. He just gapes at him for a second.

“And it’s actually a combination of the two, if we’re being honest. I’m finally ready to settle down and take a mate and all that, where I wasn’t before. And you’re gorgeous, and quick witted, which is going to be almost more important in my life than the good looking thing... So what do you say?” Tony asks Bucky directly, “Will you take this bachelor off the market?”

“Uh, sure,” Bucky says, because there isn’t any other response to that than a positive one, “I mean, yes.”

Tony beams at him.

“Excellent. You’ll never want for anything as my mate, I assure you. And the first thing you need to know about being my mate, is that entrances and exits are important,” Tony nods, holding his hand out to Bucky.

Bucky takes it. 

“I’m going to lead you out of here through a sea of furious whispers and rumors, taking you straight to my limo and whisking you away for absolute maximum dramatic effect, ok? I’ll send some servants to pick up your things tomorrow so it doesn’t ruin the flow,” Tony indicates, making a motion toward the front door.

“Ok,” Bucky says, still in shock, barely able to comprehend what’s happening. He doesn’t care one whit about whether his things are packed right now or tomorrow, so he just follows along in Tony’s wake, even though he’s technically at his side. 

Just as Tony predicted, the sight of him leaving on Tony’s arm causes a ripple through the crowd. People are already edging closer to Nick, because it’s customary to wait to announce an official mating transaction until the new couple is out of the building. Shouting out the price paid for someone while they’re still in the room is considered crass. 

The two House guardians flanking the front doors open them as they approach. Tony’s limousine is parked directly in front of the steps below it. An alpha in a suit is waiting next to the rear door to open it for them as well. 

“Change of plans, Happy, take us back to the Tower. Oh, and this is Bucky, my new mate. Bucky, this is Happy, my bodyguard, chauffeur, boxing instructor, and security analyst. I trust him with my life, and so can you.”

“A pleasure,” Happy says, tipping his head to Bucky as they shake hands, “You want me to cancel your flight in the morning, boss?”

“Please. And clear my schedule for the rest of the week,” Tony indicates, giving Bucky a moment to slide across the seat. 

Happy gives him a look.

“You’re right, I’ll talk to Pepper about it in the morning.”

Happy nods, closing the door behind them after Tony gets in. 

As soon as the door closes, Tony turns his attention back to Bucky. “It was $150 million, in case you were wondering.”

“What?” Bucky asks, caught off guard. 

“The amount that I donated to the House to _ compensate _them for you,” Tony says. 

“I... Are you serious?” Bucky’s jaw drops, because that’s more than he’s ever heard even the best bred omegas going for. “I’m not worth _ that.” _

“Of course you are,” Tony says as they start moving.

“I don’t understand,” Bucky says, starting to feel distinctly out of his element. 

“You’re absolutely worth that much, because that’s how much I paid,” Tony says, giving his hand a squeeze and sort of challenging Bucky to defy that logic. 

“Um, ok...”

Tony offers him a whiskey to pass the time while Happy’s driving them. Bucky makes a little bit of a face before he can stop himself. 

“Champagne?” Tony offers instead. 

“Sure...” Bucky is probably coming off way more hesitant than Tony’s first impression of him, because he was being pretty forceful back to that Hammer guy, so he tries to take a deep breath and get his head in the game. 

“So, can I ask you a question?” Bucky starts, after taking a polite sip of his glass. 

“Of course. Fire away. Anything you want to know, it’s all on the table,” Tony says, sitting back in his seat as if readying himself for the long haul. 

“Ok,” Bucky is thrown off a little by Tony’s apparent willingness to be open, but he thinks of something to say that he hopes will be received well, “What gives?” he asks, motioning toward Tony with his glass. 

Tony cracks a smile, a much more genuine one than he was wearing before, and suddenly, suddenly he seems like just a regular guy in an insanely expensive suit. The aura of _ importance _ and _ drama _ and slight _ danger _that surrounded him just bleeds away. 

Bucky didn’t even realize it, but he feels like he can take a fuller breath now, like his world doesn’t revolve around watching to see what this alpha will do next.

“Jesus,” he says, blinking and shaking his head a little, “All that was just your presence?”

“Sorry,” Tony says, obviously not actually sorry, but knowing the situation requires an apology for politeness. “You actually seem hardly affected by it at all...” he points out, giving Bucky a thoughtful look. 

“Well, I mean, I didn’t want to take my eyes off you, but I certainly wasn’t about to get on my knees in the middle of the hall or anything...” Bucky admits. 

“You’ve got a strong will. That’s good,” Tony says, giving him a nod and keeping the warm smile. 

“Ok... That’s actually not what I was talking about though, when I asked you ‘what gives’, I didn’t even know alphas could really do something like that...”

“Most can’t,” Tony says, not shrugging or doing anything to detract from the uniqueness he’s implying. He’s special, and he knows it, and he isn’t going to pretend he doesn’t know why. “What did you actually mean then?”

“Well, what gives with you picking _ me?” _ Bucky asks, looking around at the limo, and then looking Tony up and down for emphasis. “You’re the most eligible bachelor in practically the whole world, you’ve been single for decades, never shown any interest in settling down with any of the gorgeous omegas that have practically been throwing themselves at you your whole life, and now you walk in to our Omega House and just pick _ me _at random?”

Tony grins, practically from ear to ear as he hears what Bucky is saying. He sets his glass down in the specialized holder built into the limo’s bar, then rests his elbows on his knees. “I was being serious, back at the House, but I’ll admit I didn’t give you _ all _ the details on my decision. The single biggest factor here is that, well, I need an heir. I always have, but there was going to be time for that down the road, you know? But these past couple years, well, I guess the whole biological clock thing isn’t just for omegas. So yeah, I need an heir, and I finally feel like I’m ready for it, and if I mate with you, then hopefully my children won’t have to fill up an entire room with their presence to keep people from noticing that they’re shorter than _ Justin Hammer,” _ Tony sighs.

“You looked like you were the same height when you put your arm over his shoulders?…” Bucky says questioningly.

“My shoes give me an extra two inches. They’re custom made so it’s not noticeable,” Tony says as he leans back in his seat again. It almost looks like he’s waiting for Bucky to laugh or say something jokingly funny that is actually offensive to him. But Bucky’s been dealing with that shit all his life, if for the opposite direction, so he would _ never. _

“Well, if you want taller heirs, then I’m your omega,” he says, tipping his glass toward Tony as he takes another sip. 

A slow smile spreads over Tony’s face. “That’s exactly what I was hoping. I mean, it’s too late for me, I’m a lost cause at this point. Most alphas aren’t expected to grow anymore after _ 36, _ but I want to do better for my kids. Plus, you really are _ amazingly _ attractive. I mean, I’ve met models who would have _ killed _to have those legs, I cannot wait to have them wrapped around me...” Tony tells him. 

Bucky blushes, but he leans back in his seat too and then crosses said legs. 

Tony reaches over and runs his thumb over the color on Bucky’s cheeks. “I’ll tell you what really sealed the whole deal for me though, just, put it over the top, to where I couldn’t _ not _make an offer on you,” Tony says. 

“Yeah? What was that?” Bucky asks a little breathlessly. 

“When you walked away from me,” Tony tells him seriously, “I mean, this is all for the kids, right? We’re being upfront with each other here. So, it would be nice if you actually cared about them. When you walked away from me to go help that girl, I just had this moment of thinking, wow, I wish I’d had someone like that in my life when I spilled wine all over myself during the first Presentation Gala I attended... And I knew I’d seen all I needed to in that moment, so I went over and made your House Director an offer, right then.”

Bucky just stares at him for a moment. He knows life is different when you’re rich, and that there seems to be an element of _ the riches _ being the thing of importance in those people’s lives...but he didn’t think it was common for people to not even care about their own children in lieu of it...

“I’m sorry,” Bucky says, “That you didn’t have anyone who cared...” 

“Well, I mean, there were some people who did. Mostly the help that I had charmed with my boyish wit and innocence... But you can’t take your butler with you to a Gala,” Tony says dismissively. Maybe it’s just because he can project so well, having the kind of presence he does, but Bucky can tell that it’s a delicate subject and Tony kind of regrets going that far with him, being a stranger.

“So how many kids are you thinking we should have?” Bucky asks gently, giving him an out to veer the topic back. 

Thankfulness flashes through Tony’s eyes and he says, “At least one? Two or three, maybe? I mean, when you have _ too _many, then splitting up the empire becomes inevitable, so not much more than that.”

“That sounds doable,” Bucky agrees. He doesn’t imagine he’ll have much problem with carrying and giving birth, he’s certainly always been of a _ hearty constitution. _

“I’m really glad you’re taking this so well,” Tony sighs, but then he gives Bucky a piercing, intelligent look. “I was pretty sure you’re old enough to understand that Galas and mating and all of it, it isn’t about _ love. _ No one actually falls in love in a couple hours at a fancy party. They fall in lust, maybe, which I’ll admit I’m more than happy to fall into with you, but I don’t _ love _ you and I’m pretty sure you don’t _ love _me either...”

“No, you’re right,” Bucky admits, feeling a strange mix of sadness and relief in his chest, “We just met, I don’t know anything about you. I’m certainly not _ in love _ with you...”

Tony looks relieved that he understands. “Good. That’s good. Great even. Because my life is way too busy, just absolutely packed full, to have to play at a game there’s no chance of winning with some naive omega. Not that we couldn’t end up liking each other a lot, and maybe even do the love thing later, down the road... But you know, that’s, that’s a ‘maybe’, not an assumption. Hell, I’m kind of an asshole, so you’ll probably end up _ hating _me more than anything else...”

“Are you going to keep sleeping around?” Bucky asks, deciding that if Tony is going to go there, he might as well play hard ball too. 

“What? No, of course not,” Tony says, frowning at the implication. 

“Ok. That’s all I really care about, that you don’t cheat on me,” Bucky shrugs, because that would be the worst feeling he can think of, to have his mate sleep with someone else. Especially if they were a beautiful model omega who gets likened to a flower all the time, not a tree. “I know you have a whole life already, and I’m the addition to it. I know I’m probably going to be spending a lot of time alone while you run your company and keep all your appointments and stuff. As long as I know you aren’t making a fool of me, sitting at home waiting for you while you’re fucking someone else, then I won’t be mad.”

Tony nods, looking at him thoughtfully. “Well, I mean, we are definitely going to live together, so when I come home, it’s going to be to you. But, yeah, I can make that promise, not to sleep with anyone else. I am gone kind of _ a lot, _ though, so if it starts to become too much for you, say something, ok?...”

“Ok. I’m sure it’ll all work out,” Bucky says, confident he can find ways to bide his time. “Besides, we’ll have kids soon, so they’ll need a lot of my attention anyway.”

Tony gives him another relieved smile. 

They both feel better after that, having a plan. 

<//>

When they finally arrive at the Tower, Bucky can’t help but stare. Shield-Maiden Omega House was a huge sprawling estate, whose builders spared little expense when they originally constructed it, but that was in 1859. Bucky has never seen New York City up close like this, and certainly nothing like Stark Tower. It’s a monument to all things modern and new age. 

“Do you want the grand tour right now?” Tony offers while escorting him from the limo with a hand on the small of his back, in case Bucky is more nervous than he seems. 

“Does the grand tour start with the penthouse?” Bucky asks, glancing upward and not even able to see the top floors from the ground. 

“It certainly can...” Tony smiles happily. 

“Ok, then lead the way.”

They take a private elevator up from a garage packed full of expensive cars. After a few _ literal minutes _ of upward movement, the elevator doors slide to reveal a massive open living room, with three story floor to ceiling windows spreading the city lights out as if just for them. 

“Wow,” Bucky breathes out, stunned by the extravagance. “I guess I kind of expected the doors to open right at your bedroom,” he jokes. 

Tony laughs. “Our security setup is a _ bit _better than that. Which reminds me,” he says, picking up a tablet, “Put your hand on this, please,” he says, indicating the touch screen. 

Bucky does, and the tablet lights up, scanning his hand quickly and confirming storage of a new profile. Tony also holds it up to do a retinal scan. 

“Do you need my blood type and a urine sample too?...” Bucky jokes again, but Tony waves him off.

“We can do the rest of intake in the morning. I believe I promised you a tour of the penthouse,” Tony says, taking Bucky’s arm and leading him across the room. They go down a separate hallway, get in another elevator, go up another four floors, and then down two more hallways. There are a set of double doors at the end of the last one, which Bucky assumes must finally be the bedroom. He hopes he can remember how to find his way out of here later... 

As they approach the doors, a screen set into the side of the wall flashes green and displays the word, “Clear”. Tony gives an almost imperceptible nod before he continues on and opens the doors. 

Bucky wonders what Tony did that triggered the all clear indicator, because it wasn’t anything he could see... He supposes that’s a question that can wait until morning though. He feels like diving into any other topics right now would just be seen as stalling on his part... 

Tony’s bedroom is as big as a house all on its own. There’s the same huge windows overlooking the city, the same sleek and modern finishes that the living room had. The biggest difference is that there’s no other furniture aside from the bed. Miles and miles of room without so much as a dresser or an end table. 

“So, what do you think?” Tony asks. 

“It’s very...impractical.”

Tony laughs. 

“Where are your clothes? Where do you put your phone at night?” Bucky asks, turning in a circle. 

“Well, the walk-in closet is over there, we’ll have one built for you right away too. I usually leave my phone in the living room,” Tony explains, undoing his cuff links. 

“What if someone was trying to call you in the night? What if there was an emergency?” Bucky asks.

“Well, the butler, or my assistant, would wake me up themselves,” Tony tells him. 

“I see... So... Where should I put this, then?” Bucky says, pulling slightly on the fabric of his outfit.

Tony takes the opening with aplomb.

“The floor would be fine,” he says, the look he’s giving Bucky starting to fill with heat. 

They kissed a little in the limo, but it’s still a sensation that’s new and heady for Bucky. Tony puts a hand on the back of his neck and guides him down so their lips meet, exploring Bucky’s mouth in a way that threatens to make the omega’s knees weak. 

When they pause to catch their breath, Tony slides his hand down the front of Bucky’s chest, smooth and easy, and starts helping him out of the fabric. Bucky is proud of the way his own hands don’t shake, though he isn’t familiar with how to remove Tony’s suit, so he does fumble a little here and there. He’s more excited than nervous, because sex was something he’d long ago scratched off the list of things he expected to experience in his lifetime. 

“God you are gorgeous,” Tony breathes out once Bucky’s naked, “Just absolutely _stunning..._ _ Those legs, _ Jesus... Do you like having them worshiped? Because I am totally down with putting my mouth on every single inch of them,” Tony says, smiling widely as he runs a hand up and down Bucky’s thigh. 

“Uh, sure, we can try that,” Bucky agrees, flustered by the image. 

Tony leads him over to the bed. “Try it? I have a hard time believing no one’s wanted to put their mouth on them before...” he says in a teasing manner. 

“No one’s put anything on me before...” Bucky says, turning to face Tony when they reach the edge of the mattress, waiting for further instruction. 

Tony looks flummoxed. “What? Are you serious right now? I refuse to believe you weren’t keeping your House afloat entirely on your own, just from trial runs.”

Bucky blushes, shaking his head a little. “I’ve never had any offers at all, before yours.” 

“Well that is a fucking travesty,” Tony says, pulling himself together, “And I am going to rectify the situation immediately. Actually that’s lucky for me, I guess, that everyone in the rest of the world are idiots. No one snatched you up before I found you,” Tony says, almost talking to himself as he guides Bucky onto the bed. 

“Should I get on my hands and knees?” Bucky asks. 

“Not just yet. On your back is fine. Better, actually, for this,” Tony says, grinning and lifting Bucky’s leg in the air in front of him. Then he basically plasters himself against it, rubbing over smooth skin with one hand while the other keeps it extended. Bucky can feel Tony’s cock hardening against his thigh while the alpha laves over his ankle and kisses his calf. Tony makes a groan of appreciation as he works his way down, even going so far as to press little bites into the flesh of Bucky’s inner thigh. 

Just when Bucky thinks Tony will move to the area _ between _his legs, Tony stops and starts over with the other leg. 

Bucky groans and wraps his freed one around Tony’s hip. 

Tony smiles victoriously and keeps lavishing his skin. When he reaches the V of Bucky’s hips this time though, he doesn’t stop. He relishes the sight of Bucky fisting his hands into the sheets as Tony pays the parts that make him _ omega _ attention. As Bucky gets more and more turned on, and closer and closer to his orgasm, Tony can feel his hips rocking up against him and Bucky’s thighs tightening around him. When Bucky finally comes, Tony buries his face against him to prolong it, wrapping his arms around the omega’s thighs and stroking them gently with his thumbs. Tony finally stops when Bucky’s squirming starts to be to try and _ get away _ from the sensation instead. 

“Jesus, I bet you could kill a man with those thighs,” Tony says as he starts to crawl his way up Bucky. 

Bucky covers his face with his hands. 

“Hey, no, I meant that as a compliment,” Tony assures him, discreetly wiping at his face. 

Bucky nods, not removing his hands from his face yet. 

Tony gently pulls them away so that he can make sure Bucky isn’t actually upset about anything. He gives him a look, like he better get used to Tony complimenting him, because it’s not going to stop any time soon. 

Bucky is still blushing, but he nods and says, “I’m good.”

“Good,” Tony grins, leaning down to kiss him. 

They make out for a few minutes while Bucky recovers. Tony runs his hands through Bucky’s hair, plays with his nipples a little, keeps things moving forward but without the intensity of a moment ago. 

“Ok, sweetheart, get on your knees for me now,” Tony instructs him once Bucky seems as ready as he’s going to get. 

Bucky nods, not trusting his voice in that moment, and shifts over so that he can present himself properly for Tony. He feels Tony’s palm smoothing down the curve of his back as the alpha leans over him. 

“You’re beautiful, Bucky,” he says simply, his voice even and lacking any bravado. 

Those words mean more to Bucky than any of the other compliments Tony has paid him tonight. 

“Thank you,” he says back quietly. 

Tony squeezes his shoulder in reply. Then he nudges Bucky’s knees a little farther apart, which the omega complies to readily. 

Bucky feels the tip of Tony’s cock start to press into him, and he tries to remember to _ breathe _like they instructed them at the House all those years ago. 

“There you go, there you go, honey,” Tony says as he slowly slides in, pausing once he’s sheathed all the way to give Bucky a moment. “You’re all mine, in every way, now.”

Bucky nods, showing he’s still listening, but anything more than that is beyond him right now. 

Never in his life did he ever expect to feel this full, this complete and whole and _ desired. _

Tony groans as he finally starts to move, because not only is Bucky tight and hot and utterly submissive for him, he’s _ dripping _with arousal too. Tony does everything in his power to make sure that their first time together is a good experience for Bucky, riding him nice and gently until the omega’s body itself starts asking for more. When Bucky’s hips begin rocking back to meet his thrusts, Tony picks up the pace a little. 

Without breaking his rhythm, Tony reaches down to stroke Bucky’s cock, finding it drooling with precome already. Tony grins as Bucky’s hips jump underneath his and Bucky shouts against the mattress. That’s when Tony really starts giving it to him good, pounding into Bucky and watching in delight as the omega grabs a hold of the sheets again. 

When Bucky comes, he squeezes down on Tony’s cock so perfectly that Tony just has to stop for a second and stay sheathed inside him to experience it in its fullest. Then he finds himself coming into that glorious pressure a few seconds later, almost by surprise. He groans Bucky’s name loudly while the omega is still panting and spasming with the come down from his own orgasm. 

Both of them slide down and collapse against the sheets almost in unison, with Tony still buried inside him. They take a few seconds to catch their breaths, though Tony does slide his hips back just enough to slip out of Bucky’s body. Bucky gives a little whine of protest, but Tony kisses his spine in apology. 

There must be a bathroom attached to this monstrosity of a bedroom somewhere, because after a few minutes Tony gets out of bed and comes back with a warm washcloth. Bucky’s eyes are closed the whole time, so he’s isn’t completely sure, but he assumes. 

“I wore you out, didn’t I, sweetheart?...” Tony murmurs almost tenderly. 

Bucky mumbles “Mmm” without opening his eyes. 

Tony chuckles. 

Then Bucky feels the blankets being pulled up over his legs and Tony settling in behind him. 

With the kind of couple they make, traditional spooning just isn’t going to be the same for them, but Tony says fuck it, and buries his nose in the back of Bucky’s hair and lets the rest just work itself out. 

<//>

In the morning, Bucky wakes up nestled in a soft cloud. He didn’t even notice that the sheets were silk last night, but he does now. Tony nuzzles at the back of his neck as he stirs too. 

“Good morning,” Bucky says quietly, giving Tony’s arm a squeeze where it’s wrapped around him. 

“Morning,” Tony mumbles back, squeezing him in return, “J, dim the lights, would you? You’re killing me with this _ bright _and early thing...”

Bucky only has time to frown, because he didn’t think there was anyone else in the room with them, before Tony waves a hand at the ceiling and says, “This is JARVIS, my A.I. butler,” then he snuggles back up to Bucky’s back as the light coming in through the windows decreases. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Master Bucky,” JARVIS intones. 

“Oh, uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you too...” Bucky says. 

“J is everywhere in the Tower, and pretty much everywhere I go too, in my phone or tablet or whatnot. If you ever need anything, just let him know. We’ll upload him into your phone too. Oh, and he can help you re-decorate if you want,” Tony says with a smile, not opening his eyes yet, “I’m pretty sure I heard you mumbling something about how the bedroom was an affront to nature, or a monstrosity or something like that, last night before we fell asleep.”

“Oh... I said that out loud?” Bucky winces. 

“I am in wholehearted agreement with your assessment, Master Bucky, and wish to express my earnest desire to assist you with said project at your earliest convenience,” JARVIS tells him. 

Tony rolls over, finally letting go of Bucky, and sticks his tongue out at the ceiling. 

“Thanks?” Bucky says, unsure where to go with that. 

“So, J,” Tony changes the topic easily, “What are the odds of getting breakfast in bed today?” he asks, spreading his limbs out and settling into the bed more comfortably. 

The door to the bedroom opens before JARVIS has a chance to answer, and Tony perks up, like that might be his breakfast already. Bucky scrambles to make sure he’s covered up completely when he sees the alpha female power walking towards them with a frown on her face. 

Tony’s face falls, because that is not breakfast, not at all. 

“This is payback for me muting you last night, isn’t it, J?” he asks. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sir,” JARVIS replies. 

“Anthony Edward Stark,” the redhead doesn’t even wait until she’s all the way to them to start in on him, “What the hell do you think you’re doing, cancelling the shareholders’ meeting?” 

“I was thinking,” Tony says, instantly jumping into his defense, “That since I’ve just _ mated, _ I would take the week off.”

“Absolutely not. You cannot blow off a shareholders’ meeting for anything, Tony.”

“I just got mated! Everyone takes off a week when they get mated!” Tony argues, spreading his hands wide to encompass the everyone he mentions.

“You aren’t _ everyone, _ Tony, and you know that. You cannot afford to take a _ whole week _ off right now,” she argues back. 

Bucky holds himself as still as possible, not wanting to draw her attention to him. 

“I can’t _ afford _it?” Tony says, crossing his arms and giving her a look like she just said water isn’t wet. 

“You know what I meant,” she says, rolling her eyes, “And the answer is still no. The rest of the world is going to keep right on spinning even though you finally decided to take a mate, and you have to be there to interact with it.”

Tony puts his hand over his heart and makes an offended noise, _ “Pepper, _ I cannot believe that I’ve finally found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, the person that I want to have children with and grow old with, and you can’t even give me one lousy week to cement my burgeoning romance with him?” 

Pepper _ scowls _at Tony, as if she’s actually, literally mad at him for daring to try such a tactic with her when she knows for a fact it’s not true. 

Tony doesn’t back down, he doesn’t even move the offended hand over his heart, but Bucky could swear he sees the tiniest bit of regret in his posture, like he realizes he may have made a mistake he can’t back down from now. 

“Ok,” Pepper says, shifting her stance and raising a finger at him, “I will _ give _ you your week off, Tony... _ IF... _ You can tell me ‘the love of your life’s’ _ middle name…_” she says coolly, her eyes flicking over to Bucky and back to Tony. 

Tony freezes, then winces, because she knows him and she knows that there is _ zero _chance that he and Bucky know each other well enough for this decision to mate to have been based on any of the nonsense Tony just sprouted.

Tony’s face scrunches up like he expects to have things flying at his head soon, and he says, “His middle name is?... _ ...Bucky?...” _ and then he closes his eyes completely for a second, as if against the coming wrath. 

Pepper sighs and starts to pinch the bridge of her nose at how _ ridiculously awful _ it is to be unable to guess a person’s middle name so you just say their first name over again, until the sound of Bucky clearing his throat stops her.

“Actually... That’s kind of..._correct?” _ Bucky says, wincing himself as the force of Pepper’s personality is turned on him. “Bucky is for my middle name, and, uh, my first name is actually James?” Bucky says apologetically to her. 

Tony’s jaw drops, and he turns to look at Bucky as a slow joy dawns over his face. 

Pepper gives him a completely dumbfounded look, then says, “JARVIS?...”

“Technically, Master Bucky _ is _ correct... His legal name is ‘James Buchanan Barnes’, Stark pending.” 

Tony holds a finger out and points it at Pepper as he begins to shake his head ‘no’, as if forbidding her from going back on her word. The look on his own face says he can’t believe his dumb luck either, but he’s going to take it. 

“Oh you have _ got _to be kidding me,” Pepper throws her hands up in disbelief. “JARVIS, were you in on this?”

“I’m afraid I have to defer all inquiries regarding Operation ‘Save the Stark Genetic Line’ to Colonel Rhodes...” JARVIS cops out. 

“Wait, operation _ what?” _ Tony says, frowning and dropping the finger he was wagging at Pepper. 

“You guys know Colonel Rhodes?” Bucky asks, frowning as well and still holding the sheet up to his neck. 

<//>

On a military base a hundred miles away, Rhodey sneezes loudly while in the middle of Lieutenant Olson’s annual review. 

“Bless you, Colonel,” the Lieutenant says, never leaving ‘attention’. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Rhodey says, looking back at the paperwork for the review. 

His phone beeps with an incoming text from JARVIS, but he doesn’t have to read it to guess what it says. 

He just smiles.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> AND THEY FELL IN LOVE AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER THE END.


End file.
